Open cluster · Puppis
Mel 71 Wilk's Cluster
mag 7.114′ across
About
Mel 71, the Wilk's Cluster, is an open cluster of magnitude 7.1 in Puppis, about 14′ across.
How to find it
- Mel 71 is in the constellation Puppis.
- Best evenings: around early March it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 68° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)A small knot of stars, partly resolved.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)A group of faint stars.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | Mel 71 |
|---|---|
| Type | Open cluster |
| Magnitude | 7.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 14′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 07h 37m 33.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −12° 03′ 18″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →